Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
Language was one of Nikos Engonopoulos’ most effective shock tactics. At a time when Greece was embroiled in a language controversy...
Language was one of Nikos Engonopoulos’ most effective shock tactics. At a time when Greece was embroiled in a language controversy (the battle between Dimotiki and Katharevousa), Engonopoulos tumbled together words and formations from all levels and branches of Greek. To allow these different castes of Greek to intermingle in his poetry was to advocate, metaphorically, the breakdown of class structure.
Of the Greek surrealists, Engonopoulos had perhaps remained the truest to the movement’s internationalist roots. Though saturated in his country’s history and culture, his poems were always quick to cast out lines to the world beyond, to such near and far sites of mystery…
For his cosmopolitan perspectives, Engonopoulos drew upon a tradition that went back beyond the formation of the modern Greek state, to the cosmopolitan of the urbanized Greek Diaspora of the Ottoman times. “Diaspora” implies an exile, a paradox. If the cosmopolitan is at home everywhere, the reverse is also true: Nowhere is home. This paradox gives Engonopoulos’ later poems an undertone of displacement and loss – the nostalgia.
Like the Mediterranean itself, the language of Engonopoulos’ poetry is an aggregate of diverse cultural and linguistic influences. The clashing modes of his earlier give way, over time, to a textured verbal surface that weaves together seafarer’s slang, dialectal oddities, and Phanariot affection.
As often as not, Engonopoulos employed historical and cultural allusions for their textural or atmospheric qualities; any symbolic content derives from their place in the entire fabric of his work.
Martin McKinsey
e
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
Language was one of Nikos Engonopoulos’ most effective shock tactics. At a time when Greece was embroiled in a language controversy...
Language was one of Nikos Engonopoulos’ most effective shock tactics. At a time when Greece was embroiled in a language controversy (the battle between Dimotiki and Katharevousa), Engonopoulos tumbled together words and formations from all levels and branches of Greek. To allow these different castes of Greek to intermingle in his poetry was to advocate, metaphorically, the breakdown of class structure.
Of the Greek surrealists, Engonopoulos had perhaps remained the truest to the movement’s internationalist roots. Though saturated in his country’s history and culture, his poems were always quick to cast out lines to the world beyond, to such near and far sites of mystery…
For his cosmopolitan perspectives, Engonopoulos drew upon a tradition that went back beyond the formation of the modern Greek state, to the cosmopolitan of the urbanized Greek Diaspora of the Ottoman times. “Diaspora” implies an exile, a paradox. If the cosmopolitan is at home everywhere, the reverse is also true: Nowhere is home. This paradox gives Engonopoulos’ later poems an undertone of displacement and loss – the nostalgia.
Like the Mediterranean itself, the language of Engonopoulos’ poetry is an aggregate of diverse cultural and linguistic influences. The clashing modes of his earlier give way, over time, to a textured verbal surface that weaves together seafarer’s slang, dialectal oddities, and Phanariot affection.
As often as not, Engonopoulos employed historical and cultural allusions for their textural or atmospheric qualities; any symbolic content derives from their place in the entire fabric of his work.
Martin McKinsey
Language was one of Nikos Engonopoulos’ most effective shock tactics. At a time when Greece was embroiled in a language controversy...
Language was one of Nikos Engonopoulos’ most effective shock tactics. At a time when Greece was embroiled in a language controversy (the battle between Dimotiki and Katharevousa), Engonopoulos tumbled together words and formations from all levels and branches of Greek. To allow these different castes of Greek to intermingle in his poetry was to advocate, metaphorically, the breakdown of class structure.
Of the Greek surrealists, Engonopoulos had perhaps remained the truest to the movement’s internationalist roots. Though saturated in his country’s history and culture, his poems were always quick to cast out lines to the world beyond, to such near and far sites of mystery…
For his cosmopolitan perspectives, Engonopoulos drew upon a tradition that went back beyond the formation of the modern Greek state, to the cosmopolitan of the urbanized Greek Diaspora of the Ottoman times. “Diaspora” implies an exile, a paradox. If the cosmopolitan is at home everywhere, the reverse is also true: Nowhere is home. This paradox gives Engonopoulos’ later poems an undertone of displacement and loss – the nostalgia.
Like the Mediterranean itself, the language of Engonopoulos’ poetry is an aggregate of diverse cultural and linguistic influences. The clashing modes of his earlier give way, over time, to a textured verbal surface that weaves together seafarer’s slang, dialectal oddities, and Phanariot affection.
As often as not, Engonopoulos employed historical and cultural allusions for their textural or atmospheric qualities; any symbolic content derives from their place in the entire fabric of his work.
Martin McKinsey
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
World renowned artist George Kordis is an interpreter of man’s relationship with man. This curious and ever evolving artistic genius has a passion for engaging the spectator...
World renowned artist George Kordis is an interpreter of man’s relationship with man. This curious and ever evolving artistic genius has a passion for engaging the spectator in what is a contemporary living artform with a surrealistic expressionistic voice.
His works strive to express the quality of human relationships which embody our attitudes towards beauty, unity in life and love. There is an intrinsic complexity in these relationships which defies our ability to define them in a static manner. Expressing their fluid and interconnected view of the self in relation to others is possible by synergystically combining various artistic modes and and diverse cultural influences. Kordis’ radiant images, suffused with the luminous presence of the transcendent, can be understood as domains of interactive communication that facilitate the beholder’s corporeal encounters with the intangible. Through line, color and light rhythm the images exit the painting surface to unite with the spectator in space and time in an organic manner engaging the spectator’s senses and offering peace, love and unity simultaneously. The forms created by Kordis unviel a rhythm intrinsic to the human journey.
Kordis lives and works in Greece, Canada and the United States. He is represented worldwide by Terra Ercolano Art Advisory. www.TerraErcolano.com
e
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
World renowned artist George Kordis is an interpreter of man’s relationship with man. This curious and ever evolving artistic genius has a passion for engaging the spectator...
World renowned artist George Kordis is an interpreter of man’s relationship with man. This curious and ever evolving artistic genius has a passion for engaging the spectator in what is a contemporary living artform with a surrealistic expressionistic voice.
His works strive to express the quality of human relationships which embody our attitudes towards beauty, unity in life and love. There is an intrinsic complexity in these relationships which defies our ability to define them in a static manner. Expressing their fluid and interconnected view of the self in relation to others is possible by synergystically combining various artistic modes and and diverse cultural influences. Kordis’ radiant images, suffused with the luminous presence of the transcendent, can be understood as domains of interactive communication that facilitate the beholder’s corporeal encounters with the intangible. Through line, color and light rhythm the images exit the painting surface to unite with the spectator in space and time in an organic manner engaging the spectator’s senses and offering peace, love and unity simultaneously. The forms created by Kordis unviel a rhythm intrinsic to the human journey.
Kordis lives and works in Greece, Canada and the United States. He is represented worldwide by Terra Ercolano Art Advisory. www.TerraErcolano.com
World renowned artist George Kordis is an interpreter of man’s relationship with man.
World renowned artist George Kordis is an interpreter of man’s relationship with man. This curious and ever evolving artistic genius has a passion for engaging the spectator in what is a contemporary living artform with a surrealistic expressionistic voice.
His works strive to express the quality of human relationships which embody our attitudes towards beauty, unity in life and love. There is an intrinsic complexity in these relationships which defies our ability to define them in a static manner. Expressing their fluid and interconnected view of the self in relation to others is possible by synergystically combining various artistic modes and and diverse cultural influences. Kordis’ radiant images, suffused with the luminous presence of the transcendent, can be understood as domains of interactive communication that facilitate the beholder’s corporeal encounters with the intangible. Through line, color and light rhythm the images exit the painting surface to unite with the spectator in space and time in an organic manner engaging the spectator’s senses and offering peace, love and unity simultaneously. The forms created by Kordis unviel a rhythm intrinsic to the human journey.
Kordis lives and works in Greece, Canada and the United States. He is represented worldwide by Terra Ercolano Art Advisory. www.TerraErcolano.com
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
The global phenomenon known as surrealism touched down in Greece at an opportune moment: the mid-1930s, a time of cultural ferment and political reaction. Politically, however, Greece was moving towards a monarchy and military dictatorship (1936-41). The atmosphere was such that it inspired young artists to revolt, and the liberationist promise of Surrealism offered young Greek poets a ready platform. Nikos Engonopoulos (1907-1985) was one such artist caught up in the emerging movement.
e
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
The global phenomenon known as surrealism touched down in Greece at an opportune moment: the mid-1930s, a time of cultural ferment and political reaction. Politically, however, Greece was moving towards a monarchy and military dictatorship (1936-41). The atmosphere was such that it inspired young artists to revolt, and the liberationist promise of Surrealism offered young Greek poets a ready platform. Nikos Engonopoulos (1907-1985) was one such artist caught up in the emerging movement.
The global phenomenon known as surrealism touched down in Greece at an opportune moment...
The global phenomenon known as surrealism touched down in Greece at an opportune moment: the mid-1930s, a time of cultural ferment and political reaction. Politically, however, Greece was moving towards a monarchy and military dictatorship (1936-41). The atmosphere was such that it inspired young artists to revolt, and the liberationist promise of Surrealism offered young Greek poets a ready platform. Nikos Engonopoulos (1907-1985) was one such artist caught up in the emerging movement.
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
"Poems are lived, not written.”
Nikos Engonopoulos
e
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
"Poems are lived, not written.”
Nikos Engonopoulos
"Poems are lived, not written.”
Nikos Engonopoulos
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
Engonopoulos “was a born orthodox, as charged by Surrealism as an electrical pole is by electricity. No one could touch him without agreeing to suffer a powerful discharge.”
-Odysseus Elytis
e
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
Engonopoulos “was a born orthodox...
Engonopoulos “was a born orthodox, as charged by Surrealism as an electrical pole is by electricity. No one could touch him without agreeing to suffer a powerful discharge.”
-Odysseus Elytis
Engonopoulos “was a born orthodox, as charged by Surrealism as an...
Engonopoulos “was a born orthodox, as charged by Surrealism as an electrical pole is by electricity. No one could touch him without agreeing to suffer a powerful discharge.”
-Odysseus Elytis
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
Engonopoulos revealed an “explosive, daring and revolutionary” take on surrealism.
-Kimon Friar
e
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
Engonopoulos revealed an “explosive, daring and revolutionary” take on surrealism.
-Kimon Friar
Engonopoulos revealed an “explosive, daring and revolutionary” take on surrealism.
Kimon Friar
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
“Engonopoulos, one should not forget, was not only one of the most significant poets of the generation of the 1930s, the generation that launched modernism in Greece, but also an accomplished painter, the foremost surrealist painter of Greece.”
- Haris Vlavianos
e
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
“Engonopoulos, one should not forget, was not only one of the most significant poets...
“Engonopoulos, one should not forget, was not only one of the most significant poets of the generation of the 1930s, the generation that launched modernism in Greece, but also an accomplished painter, the foremost surrealist painter of Greece.”
- Haris Vlavianos
“Engonopoulos, one should not forget, was not only one of the most significant poets...
“Engonopoulos, one should not forget, was not only one of the most significant poets of the generation of the 1930s, the generation that launched modernism in Greece, but also an accomplished painter, the foremost surrealist painter of Greece.”
- Haris Vlavianos
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
“Modern Greek letters owes a tremendous debt to Nikos Engonopoulos for his daring and courage to push Greek poetry beyond its previous boundaries. As it has done with so many other “lost” writers, Green Integer has made another masterful poet available to our age.”
- George Kalamaras
e
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
“Modern Greek letters owes a tremendous debt to Nikos Engonopoulos for his...
“Modern Greek letters owes a tremendous debt to Nikos Engonopoulos for his daring and courage to push Greek poetry beyond its previous boundaries. As it has done with so many other “lost” writers, Green Integer has made another masterful poet available to our age.”
- George Kalamaras
“Modern Greek letters owes a tremendous debt to Nikos Engonopoulos for his...
“Modern Greek letters owes a tremendous debt to Nikos Engonopoulos for his daring and courage to push Greek poetry beyond its previous boundaries. As it has done with so many other “lost” writers, Green Integer has made another masterful poet available to our age.”
- George Kalamaras
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
Perhaps more so than any other poet, Engonopoulos adapted surrealism to the Greek context, inventing a poetic system out of purely Greek elements—the mythical and legendary, the historical and topical, the exotic and commonplace, the sensual and intoxicating—and his poetry is characterized not by the complexes of the subconscious but by the ecstasy.
e
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
Perhaps more so than any other poet, Engonopoulos adapted surrealism to the Greek context, inventing a poetic system out of purely Greek elements—the mythical and legendary, the historical and topical, the exotic and commonplace, the sensual and intoxicating—and his poetry is characterized not by the complexes of the subconscious but by the ecstasy.
Perhaps more so than any other poet, Engonopoulos adapted surrealism to the Greek context, inventing a poetic system out of purely Greek elements—the mythical and legendary, the historical and topical, the exotic and commonplace, the sensual and intoxicating—and his poetry is characterized not by the complexes of the subconscious but by the ecstasy.
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
“Engonopoulos as a surrealist follows the ways of his heart, writes about the secrets of his existence, he exists as a suspended meteor and resists the limitations of logic.” Dr. George Kordis
e
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
“Engonopoulos as a surrealist follows the ways of his heart, writes about the secrets of his existence, he exists as a suspended meteor and resists the limitations of logic.” Dr. George Kordis
“Engonopoulos as a surrealist follows the ways of his heart, writes about the secrets of his existence, he exists as a suspended meteor and resists the limitations of logic.” Dr. George Kordis
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
"I didn't adhere to Surrealism; I had it inside me."
Nikos Engonopoulos
e
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
"I didn't adhere to Surrealism; I had it inside me."
Nikos Engonopoulos
"I didn't adhere to Surrealism; I had it inside me."
Nikos Engonopoulos
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
THE POETRY OF NIKOS ENGONOPOULOS
THE SHIP OF THE WOODS
(CHELSEA (USA), No. 33, September 1974.)
e
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
THE POETRY OF NIKOS ENGONOPOULOS...
THE POETRY OF NIKOS ENGONOPOULOS
THE SHIP OF THE WOODS
(CHELSEA (USA), No. 33, September 1974.)
THE POETRY OF NIKOS ENGONOPOULOS
THE SHIP OF THE WOODS
(CHELSEA (USA), No. 33, September 1974.)
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
I know that
if I had
a suit of clothes
e
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
I know that
if I had
a suit of clothes
I know that
if I had
a suit of clothes
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
– a dress-coat –
the colour of light green
with large dark red flowers
e
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
– a dress-coat –
the colour of light green
with large dark red flowers
– a dress-coat –
the colour of light green
with large dark red flowers
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
if in the place of
the invisible
aeolian harp which serves me
as a head
I had a bar
of green soap
placed so that one of its sides
fitted
gently
between my shoulders
e
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
if in the place of
the invisible...
if in the place of
the invisible
aeolian harp which serves me
as a head
I had a bar
of green soap
placed so that one of its sides
fitted
gently
between my shoulders
if in the place of
the invisible...
if in the place of
the invisible
aeolian harp which serves me
as a head
I had a bar
of green soap
placed so that one of its sides
fitted
gently
between my shoulders
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
if it were possible
to replace
the sacred shrouds
of my voice
with the love
that a metaphysical musical maiden
has
for black umbrellas
e
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
if it were possible
to replace
the sacred shrouds
of my voice
with the love
that a metaphysical musical maiden
has
for black umbrellas
if it were possible
to replace
the sacred shrouds
of my voice
with the love
that a metaphysical musical maiden
has
for black umbrellas
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
then perhaps
only then
would I be able to relate
the fading dreams
of joy
that I saw once
e
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
then perhaps
only then
would I be able to relate
the fading dreams
of joy
that I saw once
then perhaps
only then
would I be able to relate
the fading dreams
of joy
that I saw once
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
when a child –
while looking
devoutly
in the round
eyes
of birds
e
Kordis: Dialogue with Greek Literature
Engonopoulos
OCTOBER 2015 - MARCH 2016
when a child –
while looking...
when a child –
while looking
devoutly
in the round
eyes
of birds
when a child –
while looking...
when a child –
while looking
devoutly
in the round
eyes
of birds
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